Richard,
Where do you live?  Here in Ohio, I have a black bee working my corn.  It
is smaller than a bumble, but bigger than a honeybee. The abdomen appears
to be a rounded shape.
 
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> From: Richard Spiekhout <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: black bees
> Date: Saturday, August 15, 1998 6:34 PM
>
> Today I had bees in the garden for the first time this year(excepr for
bumble
> bees). They were completely black except for the pouches of pollen on
their
> legs.  They were working on basil blooms.  I also saw one black & yellow
> striped bee.  It was much smaller than the black ones.
> What kind of bees did I see?
> Richard